Start a Family Recycling Project on Father's Day

by Alyssa Davis

Most Dads love the idea of recycling, because it can save money and is good for the environment. However, many times they are too busy to get a family recycling project started properly. If you have an environmentally-aware Dad, why not give him a gift this Father's Day that he will really enjoy? Buy or build some recycling center supplies and start a family recycling program in his honor this year.

Deciding What to Recycle

Every family is different and as such, so is the trash that they generate. While some families might have an overabundance of aluminum beverage cans, other families might be looking for the best way to recycle the ever-growing stack of evening newspapers. Before you start looking for supplies to make a recycling center, give some thought as to what would be the best items to focus on. After all, you don't have to start recycling absolutely everything, at least in the beginning, in order to make a difference in the environment. Many families are more successful if they start out small and decide on one or two items that seem to end up most frequently in their trash containers. For example, you might want to start by simply recycling all beverage containers, whether they are aluminum, plastic or glass. Once everyone gets in the habit of recycling these containers, you can expand your criteria to include other kinds of containers. Newspapers, magazines and junk mail are other popular items, primarily because most households have a lot of paper that ends up in the trash.

How to Equip a Family Recycling Center

Once you've made a few decisions in regards to what you want to recycle, you are ready to equip your recycling center. First, choose a good spot in your home, basement or garage for the containers you will use for collecting the recyclable materials. Try to choose a spot that is out of the way of traffic, but not so far out of the way that it won't get good usage. You can also create smaller mini-recycling centers in the main area of your home, along with a larger recycling center in the garage. For example, if you plan to recycle beverage cans, you might want to get several small wastebaskets that are colored differently than the ones you already have in your home. Write "Recycle" on the wastebaskets and then place them in convenient spots around your home where you normally drink beverages. When you have an empty can or bottle, you can quickly and easily place it in the smaller wastebasket. Then, on a regular basis you can empty all the smaller recycle collection bins into the larger bins in the garage. Large plastic trash cans, bins or storage tubs can work well in the garage. Lining the storage containers with extra-large clear trash bags designed for recycling is also a great idea to make things easier.

Have Fun as a Family

Especially since you're starting the recycling program to honor your Dad, you'll want to do everything you can to make it a fun activity that the family can participate in together. Plan a few events over the course of the year, such as a challenge to see who can collect the most aluminum cans. Make some fun charts that can help show your recycling progress as a family. The family recycling program might end up being your Dad's all-time favorite Father's Day present.